Parents Guide - Part 2
BE A CHEERLEADER.
Parents need to be our athletes’ BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS. Our role is to be there for them on the good days (celebrating a win) and on the bad days (when their stunt falls). Coaches are usually too busy to be there for our kids, especially at competitions. This is our job.
Yes, you already know this, but I want to make a point that we need to not just be our kids Cheerleaders, but we should be there for ALL cheerleaders. Over the past few years, it feels like sportsmanship has plummeted. I have seen so many parents not setting a good example for the athletes. A couple of seasons ago, I witnessed a gym’s parents shouting down another team as they took the floor. I was blown away. I was completely embarrassed for that gym. (I would have immediately left the gym over this and I still can’t believe the Event Producer didn’t say anything) I talked to a couple of athletes after this happened and they equated this as if the gym was booing them. Another time, I had to listen to parents talking trash about a minor athlete’s spray tan at Summit. It was completely uncalled for, especially such a personal attack. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard parents cheering when an opposing team falls. (You never know who is sitting next to you) Let’s not forget, athletes will emulate the behavior of adults. This includes parents and coaches. We all need to take a look at ourselves to see if we are presenting the best example. I could keep going and going, but you got my point.
One more point here, we need to talk to each other with respect. I read posts everyday on all different platforms where I can’t believe how us adults respond to one another. For example, I read one that talked about watching the type of music that was being played out loud by teams at competitions (I have actually talked about this before… and for the record, Baby got back or WAP – IS NOT APPROPRIATE!) I was dumbfounded by the comments. You have every right to agree or disagree with the post or even with me for that matter, but putting someone down or ripping their parenting style will not make the world better. We have got to do better.
This goes for both athletes and parents… Thumper said it best “…if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say nothing at all.” (ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR WEARING GYM GEAR)